Online conferencing 101
1 Feb 2022
Like many of my colleagues, I made grand plans to start attending in-person conferences once again in 2022.
Travel was opening up again.
Booster shot uptake increased across the board.
What could go wrong?
Of course everything has ground to a halt, and we all know what they say about best laid plans. Virtual online conferencing does not seem to be going away any time soon, and Early Career Researchers (ECRs) need to exploit every possible avenue to disseminate their work.
Structuring your talk, get the timing and pacing right, and answering audience questions is enough to stress about under “normal” circumstances, let alone in a virtual forum where you cannot see or hear the audience in real time. You need to figure out video, audio, and slides for this completely different medium of communication, and also consider:
Webcam positioning during your online presentation;
Avoiding unforced errors in how you look and sound to the conference attendees;
Preparing a pre-recorded video presentation ahead of time;
Remaining flexible to different delivery modes.
All the tips are covered in the video below. Disseminate your work anyway you can, and make 2022 your most impactful year yet.
Jack.
